Inflatable animal toy



Jan. l2, 1954 Filed Aug. 18, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. l2, 1954 A. BURKES INFLATABLE ANIMAL TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18, 1950 INVENTOR. T1 i ZA/a/Jde/v Barkas BY (n. n

Patented Jan. 12, 1954 2,665,519` LINFLA'IABLE ANIMAL TOYl Alexander Burkes, New York, N. Y., assigner to Plastic Innovations, Inc., New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New 'York UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE Application August 18, 195o, serial No. 180,121

2 claims; (o1. Lirs-sv) This invention relates to inflatabletoys, and more particularly to toy animals of the roly-poly type.

llt is an object of the present invention to provide an inflatable toy which simulates a riding animal, and which may in a realistic and safe manner be ridden by a youngster on land as Well as in the water.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inflatable toy horse which is of the roly-poly type thereby to induce a youngster not only to ride the toy horse, but also to engage in such fascinating and lively activities as to simulate spills from the toy horse or otherwise caper with it.

lItis another object of the present invention to provide a toy horse of this type which may be rocked on the ground by a youngster riding on it, thereby to lend to the toy horse an element of animation which greatly enlarges upon the pleasure a youngster may derive nfrom riding the toy horse.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a toy horse of 'this type which may be rocked by a youngster on it in realistic simulation of a natural gait of a horse, thereby to render the pastime of riding the hobby horse even more fascinating to the youngster.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an inatable toy horse of the rely-poly type which, when held onto or being ridden by a youngster in the water, serves also as a swimming tube that may save the youngster from sinking or even drowning.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an animal toy of this type which is of very simple construction and readily lends itself to ecient and inexpensive mass production, and which is suiciently strong and rigid in its inated form safely to hold a youngsters weight Without collapsing.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side-elevational View of an inated toy, embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the modified toy as viewed in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are sections taken substantially on the lines 3 3, 4--4, 5-5, and 6 6, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Y Referring now to Figs. l and 2, there is shown an animal toy 50 which is of the inflatable rolypoly type. The instant animal toy 5i), which may more or less realistically resemble a horse, has adjacent rockers or runners 52 and 56 on which the toy horse may be rocked back and forth in a manner simulating a natural gait of a horse. The toy horse 5o comprises a body 56, a head 58, and front and rear legs and 62, respectively. The front legs 5i! are, in the present instance', formed as separate appendages 60' and 60" on the body 5E (Figs. 2, 3 and 5), and the rear legs 62 are similarly formed as separate appendages 52 and 62" on the body 56. The fore and hind legs 60 and B2 on one side of the body 56 of the toy horse are joined by the rocker 52 (Figyl), while the fore and hind legs on the opposite sideV of the body 56 are connected by the rocker 54.- 'I

The toy horse 50 may be formed in any suitable` manner from preferably plastic sheet material which is air-impervious. For inflation purposes, the toy horse 50 is, preferably in the body 56 thereof, provided with a tube 'l0 which is accessible through an opening 'll in the side of thev toy horse and may, after inliation of the latter, be tied-up with a string or elastic band 6 and tucked into the opening 1 I.

In order to lend to the toy horse 50 the selferecting characteristics of a roly-poly type toy, the rockers 52 and 54 are provided with weights or ballasts W', respectively, which may be in the form of masses of granular material, such as sand s, for instance. Each mass of sand may be relatively tightly packed in a bag 'l2 and held in the respective rocker by a holding strap or sheet 'lll which is preferably of plastic sheet material so as to be conveniently fusable at 'i6 to the rocker (Figs. 3, 5 and 6). As shown in Fig. l, the weight W in each of the rockers 52 and 54 extends longitudinally of the latter for substantially the full longitudinal extent of the latter, and a single holding sheet lll may similarly extend throughout the longitudinal extent of the respective rocker in order rmly to hold the adjacent sand-packed bag l2 against the bottom of the rocker which is preferably cross-sectionally curved as shown.

The instant toy horse is, when iniiated with air, of considerable strength and rigidity so as safely to hold the weight of a youngster Without collapsing. This is primarily due to the fore and hind leg arrangement on each side and the rocker therebetween which will not collapse even when an exceptionally heavy youngster sits on the back 0f the toy horse on land.

The instant toy horse may well be ridden by a youngster by sitting on its back and the youngster may further rock the toy horse back and forth While sitting on the horse to simulate a natural gait of a horse. The provision of the Weights W in the rockers of the toy horse lends to the same the self-erecting characteristics of a rely-poly toy. This self-erecting feature of the instant toy horse adds considerably to its fascination for youngsters, in that it induces a youngster playing therewith to engage in such fascinating and lively activities as to simulate spills from the toy horse or otherwise caper with it The instant toy horse may, when inflated, be also used advantageously in the water. Thus, the toy horse has, despite the provision of the Weights or ballasts W' therein, suilicient buoyancy in the water safely to carry the load of a youngster without sinking. The inated toy horse will, therefore, serve as a swimming tube and save a youngster holding onto or riding it from sinking or possible drowning. Furthermore, the instant toy horse will, due to the provisions of the weights or ballasts W therein, remain in stable equilibrium in the water, so that a youngster may climb on its back and ride the toy horse in much the same manner as on land.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An air-inflatable toy horse of the rely-poly type, comprising a hollow liexible air-impervious casing shaped to form the body, head, fore and hind legs and opposite rockers of a rocking horse, said legs and rockers being of such large tubular form that they safely withstand, in the inated condition of said toy horse, collapse under the weight of a youngster riding the toy horse. and

weights secured in the bottoms of said rockers.

respectively, said weights extending longitudinally of said rockers, respectively, for substantially the full longitudinal extent of the rockers and urging said toy horse into erect disposition on any rm support, said casing being in the inflated condition of said toy horse so large that the latter has suihcient buoyancy in water to carry the weight of a youngster thereon without sinking.

2. An air-inflatable toy horse of the roly-poly type, comprising a hollow flexible air-impervious casing shaped to form the body, head, fore and hind legs and rockers of a rocking horse, said fore and hind legs and rocker on each side of the horse being formed by two spaced tubular appendages on said body and a curved tube-like portion, respectively, of which the latter connects said appendages and merges into the bottoms thereof, and said leg appendages and rocker portions being of such large tubular form that they safely withstand, in the inflated condition of said toy horse, collapse under the weight of a youngster riding the toy horse, and a Weight in the bottom of each of said rockers urging said toy horse into erect disposition on any firm support, said weights extending longitudinally of said rockers, respectively, for substantially the full longitudinal extent of the rockers and said casing being in the inated condition of said toy horse so large that the latter has sufcient buoyancy in water to carry the weight of a youngster thereon Without sinking.

ALEXANDER BURKES.

References Cited in the le 0f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,851,768 Hubbell Mar. 29, 1932 2,404,729 Hurt July 23, 1946 2,449,935 Gilman Sept. 21, 1948 2,526,786 Whitney Oct. 24, 1950 2,577,343 Martin Dec. 4, 1951 

